May 9 Roundup: Bjørgen Opposes Heart Checks; Solemdal OK with iPhone

– Marit Bjørgen is against full-heart checks for healthy athletes, the Adresseavisen recently reported. After Norwegian world swimming champion Alexander Dale Oen died suddenly from cardiac arrest at age 26, the nation’s Olympic association has proposed testing athletes for heart issues.

Bjørgen said that while she’s had her heart tested following viral diseases, the results are still not 100 percent accurate. For that reason, she didn’t think it was necessary to check healthy athletes as a precautionary measure.

“As long as you have a dialogue with your doctor if it has been heart disease in the family, so I see no point in it,” she said in translated interview. “Is there latent in the family, it is clear that one should use thorough investigation.”

— Now that the dust has settled and competition ended weeks ago in Kamchatka, Russia, Norwegian biathlete SynnøveSolemdal can crack jokes about her costly misses in Vitaly Fatyanov Prize pursuit. The 25-year-old started the race with a 25-second lead, but 10 missed shots put her in fourth at the finish. Instead of winning a Mercedes for placing first, she took home an iPhone.

“I should have probably concentrated more on race instead of thinking about what to do with the car,” Solemdal told NRK.